Plenty of Solving Fun in O Canada Crosswords Book 25

As someone who enjoys crossword puzzles, I awaited the arrival of O Canada Crosswords Book 25 with anticipatory curiosity. What kind of themes would be tackled? Would it offer enough of a Canadian flavour to make it stand out?

Right off the hop, there were several things to like about O Canada Crosswords. The 8 ½ by 11 size allows for sizeable crossword grids, and the 85 puzzles promise hours of entertainment.

The book includes a Table of Contents listing the title, theme, and page number for each puzzle, so solvers can choose whatever they’re in the mood for, rather than plodding through the pages of a generic puzzle book.

O Canada Crosswords Book 25 includes 25 Canadian-themed crosswords, 25 Canadiana crosswords, and a few “pun” puzzles that offer a bit of a laugh when you figure out some of the clues. There are also a handful of “challenger” puzzles; for example, puzzles with no three-letter clues or fill-in-the-blank answers.

Canadian-themed crosswords include topics like “Winner Takes All,” about Canadian TV competitions, “Getting Down to Business,” which features long-time Canadian companies, and “Ladies of Legislatures,” a puzzle spotlighting female politicians across Canada. Though it’s not possible to Canadianize every clue, the “Canada Cornucopia” puzzles are well-stocked with tidbits of information relevant to Canada.

A fairly substantial volume at 192 pages including solution grids, O Canada Crosswords is printed on quality paper that stands up equally well for solvers who prefer pencil or those who like to wield a pen. I don’t always “get” all of the clues in the newspaper crosswords, and that was true of the O Canada Crosswords that I tried my hand at. Some puzzles I was able to complete, thanks to methodically working across and down clues until I had enough letters to figure things out. For other puzzles, I had a couple of blanks spaces here and there. Thanks to the solution grids, help was at hand.

All of the crossword grids are on the right-hand pages, while the clues fill the remainder of the right and left pages. As a right-hander, I found filling out the grids easier with this setup than in cases I’ve encountered where solution grids are on both left- and right-hand pages.

Some other crossword books I’ve tried have clues that quickly become repetitive, and often the puzzles feel too easy—flattering for the ego but not a great workout for the brain. O Canada Crosswords Book 25 provided a change of pace, with a number of witty clues and solutions, and I appreciated the Canadian content as well as the originality of the clues developed by author Gwen Sjogren. Clearly, a fair bit of thought and research went into the puzzles. If you enjoy crosswords, and are looking for something different, O Canada Crosswords Book 25 might be worth a look. The good news, if you like what you see: there are 24 other volumes in the O Canada Crosswords series.

Gwen Sjogren has earned the esteem of crossword fans by designing over 1,400 puzzles for her 19 crossword editions, with lifetime sales of over 100,000 books. Focusing on intriguing themes, wordplay and as much Canadiana as she can pack in, Sjogren has designed the last thirteen O Canada Crosswords collections. Originally from Hamilton, Ontario, Gwen lives in Calgary, Alberta. She’s been a guest on many radio shows and featured in newspaper articles.

Publisher: Nightwood Editions (August 24, 2024)
Paperback 8.5″ x 11″ | 192 pages
ISBN: 9780889714724

Lisa Timpf

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Lisa Timpf is a retired HR and communications professional who lives in Simcoe, Ontario. Her writing has appeared in New Myths, Star*Line, The Future Fire, Triangulation: Habitats, and other venues. Lisa’s speculative haibun collection, In Days to Come, is available from Hiraeth Publishing. You can find out more about Lisa’s writing at http://lisatimpf.blogspot.com/.

Lisa Timpf

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